Planet Earth II [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray] [3 Discs]

This sequel to the critically acclaimed BBC series about the vast scope of life on earth. Sir David Attenborough presents this collection of UltraHD footage of deserts, jungles, mountains, grasslands, islands and more, shot with the latest technologies and showcasing a living record of our home planet's flora, fauna and geography.

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Problematic UHD (4K) Blu-Ray set

April 1, 2017

Let me start by saying that I was a huge fan of Planet Earth. Easy 5 stars all day.
The Planet Earth II set was viewed on an OPPO UDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-Ray Player and 65" LG OLED TV (2016 model)
With Planet Earth II, I had high expectations but was unfortunately left stunned in some areas and overly disappointed in others.
There are currently 2 sets in the US: Blu-Ray (1080p) and UHD Blu-Ray (4k). I'll be reviewing the 4K set.
The 4K set includes 3 discs; Disc 1 & 2 have 3 episodes each (6 total) while Disc 3 is a normal blu-ray disc holding the extra features (a bit under an hour of content). Each episode runs about 45 minutes, so you're getting roughly 6 hours of content across the 6 episodes + bonus feature. First disappointment: All 3 discs are included in a 2-disc case. The 2nd disc is stacked on top of the 3rd, causing scratching.
Audio is presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1. Picture is 16:9 ("Fullscreen" on a widescreen TV). The 4K set requires a 4K TV and 4K UHD Blu-Ray player. It will not play on a normal blu-ray player.
No 1080p disc (besides the bonus features) is included on the 4K set; no digital copy is included.
So why the 4 stars?
Some of the content here is stunning. Insanely detailed, sharp and exciting (especially in HDR!). Some of the content is OK (still good, but not 4K) and some is downright awful. We're talking slightly above DVD Quality. There is no consistency and this happens in all episodes. This appears to be due to the mix of different cameras; while some are filmed with high-end equipment, some other shots appear to be shot with a gopro stuck in the forest or the desert (and I'm not exaggerating here). I didn't notice any shots like this during Planet Earth (1) so it was a surprise to see here. This may be the best that the gopro footage has ever been seen.. but it's still gopro footage.
Shots will quickly go from high-end to low-end, making the problems much more obvious.
Lastly, while the content during Planet Earth 1 was entertaining and captivating throughout, I felt Planet Earth 2 was good but had some slower moments that were unlike the first.
Overall, I don't regret it. More Planet Earth content is always great! Unfortunately, it's not up to par with how it SHOULD have looked. Or how good the content itself should have been.